Ethical Leadership

According to Dr. James Toner, Professor of Ethics at the USAF Air War College, "military ethics reminds us that there are things worth knowing and doing. Military ethics, properly lived, informs us that military members and civilians alike lead lives of honor to the extent that concern for principle and purpose and people animates them. Military ethics tells us we can teach integrity by word but by deed is better."

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Explain the impact of ethical leadership on organizations and unit culture.

• Explain how ethical leadership leads to mission effectiveness.

• Explain the NCOs role in promoting ethically sound decisions.

Lesson Intent:

This lesson intends to help students understand why ethical leadership is important for all military professionals, and how ethics can influence the military leader. This lesson establishes that societies, not individuals determine most distinctions between right and wrong. The lesson then expands this understanding by examining that the Air Force “society” has established procedures for determining right and wrong and that Air Force members are responsible for adhering to those determinations.

“Military ethics properly taught, reminds us that there are things worth knowing and doing.  Military ethics, properly lived, informs us that soldiers and civilians alike lead lives of honor to the extent that concern for principle and purpose and people animates them. Military ethics tells us we can teach integrity by word but by deed is better” (Toner, 1995).

Furthermore, it helps students understand why it is important for military leaders to make ethically sound decisions and how their decisions are critical to the success of mission objectives. In a wartime environment, leaders will be faced with decisions that have significant life or death implications. NCOs must understand the role they have in making decisions and how the choices they make could result in the loss of life to secure a military victory.

This lesson is based on information about values and character in the "Blue Book" and Joint Publication 1, as well as requirements for Joint Leadership found in CJCSI 1805.01C, Enlisted Professional Military Education Policy 

Student Preparation:

• Read A Profession of Arms: Our Core Values (the “Blue Book”). 

• Student Reading

References:

• Air Force Judge Advocate General School, The 2023 Military Commander and the Law, 2023.

• Casebeer, William D., et al; Aerospace Power Journal 13, no. 4; “Military Ethics, an edited conversation between Casebeer, Szafranski, and Toner"; 1994.

• CJCSI 1805.01C, Enlisted Professional Military Education Policy, 1 November 2021.

• Cook, Martin L.; Parameters, US Army War College Quarterly, 30, no.; 1 “Moral Foundations of Military Service” 2000. 

• Stangroom, Jeremy; Should You Kill the Backpacker?; 2020.

• Stangroom, Jeremy; Should You Kill the Fat Man?; 2020. 

• Toner, James H.; Air and Space Power Journal, 17, no. 2; “Military OR Ethics.” 2003.

• Toner, James H.; University Press of Kentucky; “True Faith and Allegiance, the Burden of Military Ethics"; 1995.

• United States Air Force, The Enlisted Force Structure (the “Brown Book”), 2022.

• United States Air Force, A Profession of Arms: Our Core Values (the “Blue Book”), 16 May 2022.